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Judge: Lawsuit over skier death can proceed

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — A judge says a woman can proceed with her lawsuit against the city of Steamboat Springs over her son’s death in a skiing accident.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports a judge on Thursday denied the city’s request to dismiss Maureen Ryan’s lawsuit. She sued over the death of her teenage son Cooper Larsh, who suffocated after falling head first into deep snow at the city-operated Howelsen Hill in 2011.

The city says the area where Larsh died was closed to skiers, but Ryan disputes whether it was properly marked.

The judge said the conditions leading to Larsh’s death constituted a “dangerous condition” that waived the city’s immunity to the suit. The Pilot reports the city’s attorney couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.